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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rash · season · pop · fan · bark · face · deal · rush

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. pop — to visit
  3. face — to point toward
  4. season — of the year
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. rush — hurry
  8. season — in sport
  9. pop — music
  10. face — part of the head
  11. pop — soda
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. face — to confront
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. rash — hasty
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. rash — a series
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. deal — to handle
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com